Hope everyone had a great long weekend! I know that I did… who doesn’t enjoy kicking off a three-day weekend with their birthday on the Friday?
I neglected to have anything prepared for yesterday so let’s just pretend I posted something for Music Monday – it was this video of my youngest dancing to his Wiggles book… he loves his Wiggles, just like his brother did before him.
Clearly he will not be a part of America’s Best Dance Crew, but what he lacks in true talent he makes up for in intensity and finger pointing.
We packed a lot into the weekend and I’m so glad this is a short week because I don’t know that I could do five days in the office, or five days of week-day reality. And I’m equally glad we are going out of town next weekend and leaving the kids with my parents because they have been in rare form lately.
But without further ado, here’s my top ten list:
Being on a diet really makes me appreciate the food I do eat and makes me not want to eat crap and waste calories on things that aren’t worth it. If I take a bite of something and I don’t LOVE it, I just won’t eat any more of it. I also won’t finish my kid’s sandwiches just so the food doesn’t go to waste (instead I feed it to the dog).
To go along with #1, when it is your birthday weekend, you can indulge and not feel guilty (at least not too guilty). It also helps if you take a walk with your kids in 90 degree, super humid weather, because you will still lose weight that week – yeah for sweating buckets before even leaving the house. Today it’s back to veggies, water, whole grains and lean proteins.
Facebook + your birthday = awesome! Also awesome, husbands who meet you for lunch, friends who go out for dinner, in-laws who call from Australia and children who tell you happy bird-day at least 20 times and insist it’s your birthday all weekend long.
Homemade pizza is delightful, especially when made with crust from the farmer’s market and garlic scape pesto in the sauce.
There are few things better than grilling dinner and eating out on the deck with friends.
Though it’s also fun to leave the kids home with a sitter and go out with adults for good food, conversation and many laughs (added bonus when all food is 50% off because they are trying to fill up the restaurant on a normally very slow night). [Note: We realized that the last time we went out with friends WITHOUT children was maybe when I was pregnant with Liam (seriously five years ago). That is just sad.]
When we told Liam we were going to church Sunday morning, he actually cheered – that made my heart so happy.
Just because your kids are super excited to see a parade, doesn’t mean they will behave well (note the grip I have on Jack just to get this photo taken, below). Shortly after the photo was taken, Simon took Jack back to my office, leaving Liam and I to enjoy the “best parade ever, mom!” in relative peace. There’s always next year…
We will take a happy photo and you will like it!
9. There is almost two hour’s worth of entertainment to be found in playing with water and sidewalk chalk (and a watering can, don’t worry, I didn’t let him drown himself with water).
This is pretty much what all photos look like when I try to get one of the two of them together. Sigh.
10. Your kids will be thrilled with a box of poppers, colored smoke balls and sparklers and never know they went to bed before the real fun of fireworks started. Even going so far as to declare it the best 4th of July ever! And it was pretty great, but I smile just knowing it will get even better in coming years.
“Marry” might be a bit strong of a word, but perhaps date or have a long-term relationship with would be more accurate. Plus, many of the subjects of this list are already married and I’m not looking to break up any relationships, just noodling around with this idea. So let’s imagine this is in an alternate reality… where we are all the same people but not married to other people. Whew, don’t we all feel better? [And, please, don’t get me wrong, I’m happily married. I feel I should say that to defend my wonderful husband; and I almost probably wouldn’t leave him for any of these people. Love you, honey and feel free to make your own list and if you were famous, you’d totally be on this list!]
Ryan Reynolds | Last week I expressed my desire to beat up Scarlett Johansson because she was stupid enough to divorce Ryan Reynolds, but really, that does put him back on the market. So really, I should thank her, in the alternate reality where I end up with her ex-husband and we exchange niceties.
Hugh Jackman | Because I do love accents and he just seems to be a genuinely nice guy who loves his family. Continue reading →
Miley Cyrus | She gained her fame based on her father’s own fleeting fame and she’s really just too stupid for anything good to come from her, plus, she’s a horrible singer… horrible.
David Letterman | I think I’m supposed to love him, but he really bugs me because he’s often condescending to people and I just think he’s too smug for who he is.
Flava Flav | I had to put him on this list for my husband’s benefit – he really hates that guy. I certainly don’t love him, so in a dream world, I’d beat him up, too.
Donald Trump | I really think this needs no explanation.
Peter Sarsgaard & Maggie Gyllenhaal | They are married actors and I saw them interviewed once on the red carpet, which is probably a really strange place to find yourself in life but I just thought they were so incredibly rude and hoity toity and while I could maybe give them the benefit of the doubt (strange situation), I feel like they were really being who they were and that’s just unnecessary. Don’t go into acting if you don’t want to deal with being interviewed on the red carpet and think you are above it all.
Victoria Beckham | The woman just never smiles and perhaps it’s because she’s just very hungry, but would it kill her to even smirk?
Kristen Stewart | The I-don’t-like-being-famous and I-don’t-understand-why-people-don’t-leave-me-alone routine is a little tiresome; then don’t audition to be in a movie that women ages 14 to 44 are going to want to see because you just might get the part (despite your lack of talent) and then you will become famous and people will not leave you alone.
Ashton Kutcher | How can someone who is such a bad actor keep making movies? He needs to use his celebrity for doing other things than making Nikon commercials and going out with his wife.
Scarlett Johansson | If she was stupid enough to divorce Ryan Reynolds, then really, she needs some sense knocked into her.
Chris Brown | Because someone needs to.
Apparently I have something against stupid and/or egotistical celebrities.
Hi, I'm Michelle, married mother of two active boys (plus one 9-pound poodle). I'm a proud Michigander, having lived here all my life (besides the 10 months I lived in Chicago during/after college). I love family, friends, God, food, enjoying life and continually striving for improvement.
ememby 